We're camping, yes camping. And I'm amazed at all the critters running around. Last night, our first night at Cachuma Lake, I was sure I heard a critter in the tent with us. So I woke up on red alert, with that jolt of adrenaline you get when you may have to do battle with a critter in your tent.
My hubby was snoring peacefully, so I rattled some stuff around to scare the thing off and shone my light on my cell phone in that direction to let them know the jig was up. Then I lay down and heard even more critters scurrying around in the night, just outside our tent, planning their next assault. I am certain that critters are well organized.
I lay there listening to the scurrying and scooting, scared of all the things I could not see. I imagined snakes and spiders and sinister looking birds, all eyeing our campground and wondered what kind of unknown creepy crawlies may be lurking out there in the night. I tried to comfort myself by remembering that they were God's creatures, too, so they must not be all bad, and that I was surrounded by a cocoon of protection. Surely God was looking after me and hadn't left on His own vacation. I though about how my imagination so often turned to tragedy, but that I was safe now, eternally safe since I met Jesus.
The next morning we got up and we had indeed been hijacked by some kind of critter, plastic bags torn into & the food inside sampled. Later that day, sitting and watching the squirrels and birds, a blue jay came down to visit me as I nibbled on some lunch. He kept his distance at first, watching me from a tree branch, twisting his head at every angle to get a good read on me. Then he jumped down to the ground about 3 feet from me, and stood very still for a long time, with the exception of his jerky head, and allowed me to get a better look. I admired his bright blue feathers, tucked nicely into his body, and his salt & pepper eyebrows. He did not leave for 10 minutes, but instead hopped around on his sturdy, thin legs until I was duly impressed.
Clearly, this bird was a professional. This was not his first picnic. Eventually, his patience was rewarded with a bit of brie rind, which he devoured and looked at me expectantly for more. It turns out I'm a sucker for handsome birds, so we shared some lunch and a peaceful moment together, and then we both went on our way.
